Russian natural gas supplies to Armenia were temporarily suspended on September 15 due to scheduled maintenance work on a section of the main gas pipeline in Russia. The work is expected to continue until September 25.

 

The suspension was announced by Gazprom Armenia. The interruption involves a ten-day halt in the transportation of gas through the North Caucasus–Transcaucasia pipeline, which supplies Russian gas to Armenia via Georgia.

During the maintenance period, Armenia plans to meet domestic demand using available natural gas reserves and by increasing gas imports from Iran. No disruptions in supplies to consumers are expected.

Despite the Armenian government’s policy of diversifying energy supplies, Russian gas continues to dominate the country’s import structure. Last year, approximately 82% of Armenia’s imported natural gas came from Russia.

Therefore, even a temporary interruption in supplies is significant for Armenia’s energy system, particularly given that natural gas is used not only by households and industry but also in electricity generation.

Against this backdrop, the availability of domestic reserves and the possibility of increasing imports from Iran allow Yerevan to mitigate the immediate impact of the temporary suspension of Russian supplies.

Armenia already receives Iranian gas under the existing “gas-for-electricity” arrangement. The ten-day suspension of Russian supplies therefore increases the practical importance of the Iranian direction for the country’s energy security.

At the same time, Armenia’s ability to rapidly increase gas imports from Iran is constrained by existing infrastructure. Earlier, Armenian Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure David Khudatyan stated that infrastructure capacity is one of the main obstacles to significantly increasing imports of Iranian gas.

Iranian gas is used in Armenia, among other purposes, to generate electricity, which is subsequently exported to Iran. Therefore, expanding this mechanism depends not only on the availability of gas but also on the capacity of the energy infrastructure of both countries.

The temporary suspension of Russian supplies comes amid statements by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the need for further diversification of the gas market. On September 11, Pashinyan said that the government intends to seek opportunities to obtain gas from a second and third source, regardless of potential changes in gas prices. According to Pashinyan, Yerevan views diversification as part of a broader policy aimed at strengthening Armenia’s independence and statehood.

The prime minister has also linked the prospects for diversification to regional infrastructure projects. In particular, he has suggested the possibility of constructing a gas pipeline through Armenia as part of the TRIPP – Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity project, which, according to Pashinyan, could potentially generate transit revenues for Armenia.

The temporary suspension of supplies does not in itself indicate a political conflict between Moscow and Yerevan, as the stated reason for the interruption is scheduled maintenance work on the Russian section of the gas transportation system. However, the situation highlights Armenia’s continued dependence on the Russian energy sector. Moscow also retains a key role in Armenia’s gas market through Gazprom Armenia, while Russian gas remains the country’s primary imported energy resource.

If the maintenance work is completed as scheduled, Russian gas supplies are expected to resume after September 25. Over the next ten days, the key challenge for Armenia’s energy system will be to maintain stable supplies to consumers through the use of domestic reserves and additional imports from Iran.

 

In the longer term, the situation once again underscores Yerevan’s need to develop several independent sources of gas supply. The ten-day suspension of Russian gas deliveries is unlikely to trigger a gas crisis in Armenia, but it carries a broader strategic significance: Yerevan is seeking to gradually reduce its dependence on its dominant supplier and build a more diversified energy system.

#ARMENIA

#RUSSIA

#NEWS

15.09.2026 06:47